Suction sweeper



J. B. KIRBY.

SUCTION SWEEPER.

APPLlCATIOH FILED APR. I2, 1919.

a? T Q 1% W '1. B. KIRBY.

SUCTION SWEEPER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1919.

1,42 1,958. Patented July 4, 1922,

\ g 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. B. KIRBY.

SUCTION SWEEPER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1919.

Patented July 4, 1922.

a SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PATENT cannon.

JAMES B. KIRBY, or cnnvnnnnn, omo.

SUCTIQN SWEEPER.

mamas.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1922.

Application filed April 12, 1919. Serial Ito. 289,617.

brushing, and cleaning floors and floor coverings without the expensewhich attends an electrically operated cleaning device, or'theinconvenience which attends its use. My improved cleaner is operated bythe same movement which propels it across the floor or carpet, whileprovision is made for sweeping and agitating the surface over which itpasses and for sucking up the dust so roduced, the arrangement beingsuch thatthe suction device operates continuously for a considerabletime even though the machine be stationary, and a yielding drivingconnection being employed so as to facilitate the starting of themachine from rest and to maintain a more uniform suction.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application, Ihave shown certain representative embodiments of my invention. Fig. 1 isa perspective View of one of the preferred forms of my cleaner with apart of the bruslrcasing or nozzle broken away; Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe cleaner illustrating the position it assumes when raised from thefloor; Fig. 3 is a bottom-plan view of said cleaner; Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3; Figs 5 and 6 aredetail sectional views corresponding to the lines 5-5 and 6-6respectively of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the forwardroller-bracket; Fig. 8, is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 88of Figs. 3 and 4; Fig. 9 represents a side-elevation. partly in section,of a modified form of cleaner embodying my invention; Fig. 10 representsan enlarged bottom plan view of the device shown in Fig. 9, theoperating mechanism being shown in section; Fig.'11 is a detailsectional view taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 10; and Fig. 12illustrates a modified form of driving mechanism.

The cleaner as a. whole comprises a casing, a handle. and a 'dustbag,while the casing in its preferred form comprises essentially a fanchamber and nozzle. This fan chamber preferably has a U-shaped side wallcomprising a pair of straight portions 11 connected together by a curvedportion 2, the margins of said side wall being connected by flat walls 3and 4 respectively. This forms a pocket-shaped chamber having its squareend open as shown in Figs. 3, 8 and 10, in addition to which the sides 3and 4 are formed with openings 5 and 6 respectively. This fan chamber isnormally supported with its fiat walls oblique to the horizontal, itsaperture 5 uppermost, and its open end disposed at its highest point,while the curved end 2 projects nearly to the floor upon which thedevice rests.

The collecting 'nozzle over-laps the top of said chamber and ispreferably of a flaring or fan shape, its narrowest part surrounding andenclosing. the opening 5 and its body broadening with increasingdistance from said opening to its forward extremity, where it projectsbeyond the limits of said fan chamber and is formed with a downwardlyfacing inlet-mouth defined by the parallel horizontal lips 7 and 8. Fromthe lip 7 the bottom wall of the nozzle first extends rearwardly for ashort distance as shown at 9 at a comparatively small inclination to thehorizontal so as to form a. receiving ledge or dust pan, and thenceextends more steeply upwardly as shown at 10 until it reaches the topwall of the fan chamber. The forward margin of this ledge or dust-pan isformed above the lip 7 with a series of upwardly projecting shar teeth11 close to the bristles and arrange to remove lint, etc., therefromduring the backward running of the brush and also to retain heavy litteron the dust pan. Also I have shown the'wall 9 as interrupted at itscentral point by a slot 12 formed for the accommodation of thesupporting roller 13. At each side of this slot I have shown an inclinedcheek 14 which joins the bottom wall 9 and inclined wall 10.

From the lip 8 there rises a cylindrical wall 15 defining a brushchamber and merging with the top wall'16 of, the nozzle which covers andembraces the opening 5. The parts hitherto described can be made eitherfrom cast metal or from sheet metal. The devices shown in Figs. 1 to 8inclusive are made of sheet metal, the fan chamber being formed from asingle piece of metal by drawing in suitable dies, and the nozzle be ingsimilarly formed from two pieces of metal, one of which forms the topand visible portion and the other the bottom or hidden portion. Thesetwo parts are joined by an interlocked seam 17 which follows the edge ofthe dust pan' clear to and around the opening (see Figs. 2 and 4), whilethe bottom or hidden portion is formed with a neck 18 which is insertedinto the aperture 5 and spun over to hold the two members together. InFigs. 9 and 10 I have shown the casing as made of cast metal in onepiece, and in this embodiment I have also shown the top wall of thenozzle-part as provided with a removable portion 19.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, I have shown attached to thewall 2 of the fan chamber inside the notch 12 an upright guide 20 havingmounted thereon the slide 21 here made from a single piece of sheetmetal folded-upon itself, one of its plies having the inturned edges 22which engage the guide 20 and the other having two pairs of brackets 23.Between the lower brackets the roller 13 is journaled and between theupper brackets there is journaled a second roller 24 having thereinadeep groove receiving the elastic belt 25 which encircles that rollerand also encircles the pulley 26 of a suitable brush 27. The relativeposition of the rollers 13 and 24 is such that the rotation of theroller 13 imparts motion to the belt 25 and thus to the brush; this maybe effected either by having the faces of the rollers directly incontact or by having the belt 26 pass by the roller 13 in contactingrelation. Each end of the brush shaft is provided with a bearing pin 28which engages in suitable manner a bearing. member 29 carried by thenozzle interior which is here shown as consisting merely of a woodenplug having a radial notch, the wood being employed because it willoperate without lubrication and the notch being turned in the oppositedirection from the roller 24 so that the brush will be held in place bythe elasticity of the belt 25. The slide 21 is adjusted by means of aset screw 21 Secured to the bottom plate 4 is a motor casing having ahollow body portion 30 formed with a fiat side 31 which closes theaperture 6, and also having aligned horizontal arms 32 which constitutebearings for the carrying shaft 33 which traverses the same from end toend .in a direction parallel to the lips 7 and 8. Rigidly secured to theouter end ofv this shaft are the carrying wheels 34-34 which inconjunction with the roller 13 support the casing in the inclinedposition heretofore described. these wheels being preferably rubbertired for traction purposes as well as to prevent marring ofpolishedfloors. Journaled in said casing, perpendicular to the wall 4. is a fanshaft 35 to the upper end of which is removably secured a rotatable fan36 and whose lower end is formed adjacent to the shaft 33 with a wormscrew 37. Surrounding the shaft 33 is a worm gear 38 which meshes withthe worm screw 37. The fan is preferably made with a solid circular back39 adjacent the wall 4 both for the purpose of increasing its momentumor fly-wheel effect and to decrease the likelihood of its obstruction.The hub of the fan is-preferably made hollow for the reception of'theball bearing 40.

In order to avoid an unpleasant degree of resistance to the starting ofthe cleaner caused by this momentum, certain of the wheels with whichthe shaft 23 is provided are flexibly attached thereto so as toconstitute a species of spring-motor, storing up energy while the casingis moving forwardly at a speed greater than that of the fan and yieldingup that energy when said casing is stopped or drawn rearwardly or evenadvanced at a rate below that of the enlargement are confined therollers 47 of a silent ratchet or one-way clutch. The gear 38 is formedwith a cylindrical hub 48 journaled upon the outside of the sleeve 44and also held in place by the collar 42; the gear 38 and enlargement 45being connected together by a helical spring 49, one end of whichprojects through a hole in the gear and the opposite end of which ishooked to a finger 50 carried by said enlargement. the direction ofwinding of the spring and the direction of the clutch cams being suchthat when the machine is run forward the clutch will engage and uponsuch engagement will twist the spring in a direction to tighten the sameand thereby tend to rotate the gear 38. This operation is particularlyimportant when starting the device from rest. and sufficient springcapacity is preferably provided to permit the rotation of the wheels 34at least about one half a revolution which corresponds to severalrevolutions of the fan.

In order to prevent the machine from being rendered inoperative by theaccidental breaking of the spring I have providedthe expedients shownparticularly in Fig. 5 and comprising a metal washer 52 rigidly afiixedto the hub 48 between the spring and the enlargement 45 and having anoutstanding finger 53 engaging the finger-5O at the opposite side fromthe end of the spring. Upon the opposite side of the finger 53 from thefinger 50 the edge of the washer is given a mamas cam shape as shown at54, so as to become wedged against the finger 50 in base the springshould break and allow the parts to turn so far, thus locking the .twomembers immovably together. I have also shown this washer as formedbeyond the cam portion 54 with a notch 55 in which the tongue 50 couldspring if it ever moved that far and be positively held againstdisplacement.

It will be seen that the shaft 35 defines and constitutes the axis ofthe motor and also coincides with the axis of the fan, such common axisbeing downwardly and rearwardly inclined. It will also be clear that Ido not restrict myself to this kind or type of motor. The device isoperated by means of a handle 60 provided with a fork 66 whose armsdepend one on each side of the cleaner and are pivoted to suitablebrackets 67 which may be either bolted to the {HII1%3232 as shown inFigs. 1 to 4 inclusive or afiixed to the side of the cleaner as .shownat 67 in Fig. 9. Tightly secured to the open end of the fan chamber isthe mouth of a porous bag 68 Whose opposite end is suitably attached tothe handle as shown at69. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 18 inclusivethe open end of the fan chamber is enlarged to produce a rectangularrecess 70 and is formed with internal spring fingers 7171 one at eachside, which overhang the base of the recess and have shoulders adaptedto engage a suitable stiffening flange 72 with which the lower end ofthe bag is provided. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 9and 10 the recess70 is omitted, the hooks 71 having teeth which project through apertures70 formed in the side 1-1 of the fan chamber, and the bag 68* has aframe 72 braces the end of the fan chamber and is engaged by the hooks.These hooks are disengaged by pressing inwardly against the bag,

fabric.- Thedevice is so arranged that when elevated from the floor bylifting with the handle 60,.it will become tilted rearwardly to theposition shown in Fig. 2 so that any refuse lying upon the dust pan andnot already swept intothe suction chamber by the air stream will be dumed thereinto from which it will pass to the ag. In the presentembodiment this action is assisted by the fan, but would still occureven in the absence of the same. This inclination can be effected eitherby attaching the handle -=sufilciently forward from the center ofgravityor by assisting the gravitational action by means of spiral spring asshown at 7a in Fig. 9.

In Figs. 9-11 inclusiveI have shown a modified spring motor and brushdrive. The brush 27 is provided at its middle point with a pulley 26connected by means of a belt 25 with a pulley 76 carriedby the end ofthe fan shaft and projecting through turn of the belt, and the same isarranged which em-.

with its power-run lowermost as shown in Fig. 9 so as always to sweeprefuse towards the dust pan. The cover 19 permits access to the interiorof the nozzle to apply this belt, and the nozzle wall is convenientlyprovided with a notch as at 7 7 which shall prevent the belt from beingapplied in incorrect position. I have also shown this brush as journaledto brackets 29 each of which is pivoted at 28, so that in case therotation of the brush were arrested or resisted, the increased tensionupon the lower part of the belt would tend to elevate the brush and thuscause it to clear the obstruction. In this casethe brush runs at highspeed, the same as the fan, and by being belted to the fan is driven fora long time and is particularly useful for bare floors (such as barbershops).

In case the brush is to be driven from the carrying wheels, either withor independently of the fan, thersame spring arrangement may be employedas before, but it is sometimes well to employ a spring-motor of largerwinding capacity, for example that operating with a pawl 81 carried bythe houslng. Journaled upon the exterior of the sleeve 44* is the wormgear 38 which is connected by means of the spring 49 with the flange 82upon the opposite endof an elongated sleeve 83, whose nearer end isinterlinked with the sleeve 44? by means of the teeth 84:. Upon theforward movement of the cleaner, the enlargement 45 is advanced by thefriction clutch in a direction to wind the spring 49, and its return isprevented by the pawl. The tension of the spring serves to rotate thegear 38 and its connected parts. This arrangement afiords a longercontinued driving than the previous one.

According to another form of my invention, the spring-motor action issecured by the means shown in Fig. 12 wherein each of the carryingwheels 34? is loosely sleeved upon the shaft 33*, and attached theretoby the spiral spring 85. In this case one end of the spring is merelyinserted in a hole in the wheel and the other end wrapped around a pin86 which is stuck in the shaft, loss of the wheel being prevented by acotterpin 87. In this case a friction clutch is still necessary, whichcan be simply made by cam shaped enlargements 46* formed at one end of acylindrical sleeve 43 upon Whose exterior is journaled the hub 48 of theWorm gear 38 whose rim is formed to provide the opposing portion of theclutch as shown at 90, the whole being attached together and to theshaft by the cotter pin 91. Although the bag preferably covers theentire open end of the fan chamber, I have found it advisable torestrict the outlet therefromto a passageway adjacent to one wall, whichI do by securing inside the chamber a curved plate 92, and this ispreferably made of yielding material, such as thin sheet metal securedonly at one end as 93 so as to permit displacement in case a personsfingers become caught and thus avoid serious injury.

The forward wall of the brush chamber immediately adjacent the lip 8. ispreferably inclined forwardly in an overhanging manner so that thecleaner will tend to ride over such litter as matches, buttons, etc.rather than to push them along the floor. The interior surface of thiswall preferably 'follows the brush surface clear to the opening so thatany articles caught by the brush will be swept completelyaround the sameand into the an.

It will be understoo that while all these details are valuable some aremore important. than others and may be used independently wherefore I donot limit myself to any of the details herein disclosed exexcept as thesame are recited in the annexed claims. The general relation of the fanand motor, the mode of supporting and driving the brush, and mode ofsecuring the bag, the detail construction of the casing and clutch arecovered in my related applications: #257,108, filed Oct. 7, 1918,#368,249, filed Mar. 24,1920; #439,386, filed Jan. 24, 1921.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. The combinationwith a dust pan, of a bagcontinuously and tightly attached to the rearend thereof, pneumatic devices arranged to draw air over said dust panand discharge it into said bag, and a handle attached to said dust pan,said dust pa'n being arranged to tilt rearwardly upon being raised bysaid handle so as automatically to empty its contents into said bag.

2. The combination with a dust pan having at its forward edge acollecting lip and having at its rearward part a discharge 0 eninglocated above the plane of said lip, o a handle pivoted to said dust panupon a transverse axis, a bag connected to said handle and communicatingwith said opening, and means operative when said dust pan is raised bysaid handle to tilt the same and discharge its contents through saidopening.

3. The combination with a dust pan having at one side a collecting lipand at the other side a discharge opening, of a rotatablebrush locatedin operative relation to said lip, a handle pivoted to said dust panupon an axis parallel to saidlip, a bag connected to said handle andcommunicating with said opening, means for rotating said brush to throwrefuse upon said dust pan, and means operative upon raisin sald handleto tilt said dust pan rearwar ly and discharge its contents through saidopening. I

1. The combination, in a suctlon sweeper,

of carrying wheels, a rotary fan, and a chamber and a suction fan, of atransverse horizontal shaft journaled to said casing, carrying wheels onsaid shaft, a driving member sleeved on said shaft,operative connectionsbetween said member and fan, and spring connections between said shaftand member adapted to be wound up when said wheels are moved forwardly.

7. In a suction cleaner, a casing having a fan chamber and a collectingnozzle, said fan chamber having an inlet opening in its upper wall andsaid collecting nozzle overlapping said upper wall and enclosing saidopening, said nozzle extending past the limits of said fan chamber andformed with a mouth whose plane lies below the lower wall thereof, thebottom wallof said nozzle adjacent to said mouth having a receivingledge, a handle pivoted to said casing upon a transverse axis, a bagattached to said handle and communicating with said fan chamber at apoint opposite to said nozzle, and means operative upon the raisin ofsaid casing by said handle to tilt sai casing rearwardly so as todischarge into said fan chamber the litter lying on saidledge.

8. In a suction cleaner, a casing having a fan chamber and a collectingnozzle, said fan chamber having an inlet opening in one of its Walls,and said collecting nozzle communicating with said opening, the bottomwall of said nozzle having a receiving ledge, a handle attached to saidcasing, a bag attached to said handle and communicating with said fanchamber at a point opposite to said nozzle, and means operative upon theraising of said casing by said handle to tilt said nozzle upwardly so asto discharge into said fan chamber the litter lying on said ledge.

9. In a floor cleaning device, a combined carpet sweeper and suctioncleaner, the former comprising a brush and a dust pan. and the lattercomprising a suction fan and a dust bag, said fan chamber having acollecting nozzle in which said brush'and dust pan are located, a handlefor operating the device, and means operative upon raising said handlefor elevating. said dust pan so as to same p through'said opening, asecond pulley inside empty its contents by gravity into said fanchamber.

' 10. In a device of the character described, a floor tool having abrush and a dust pan therein, a fan chamber having an intakecommunicating with said tool and also,having an outlet, a dust bagattached to said outlet, and an operating handle adapted both to movesaid tool about the floor and by raising said-floor tool to empty saiddust pan into said bag.

11. In a suction cleaning device, a casing, a horizontal rotatable brushin said casing, a belt pulley carried thereby, a floor-rollersupportingsaid casing and mounted in an opening so as to project partlyinside the while preventing. leakage of air said casing, and a beltsurrounding said pulleys, said belt and second pulley being so arrangedrelatively to said floor-roller that one of the same shall makeoperativecontact therewith.

12. In a suction cleaning device, a casing, a horizontal rotatable brushin said casing, a belt pulley carried thereby, a floor-roller supportingsaid casing and projecting partly into the same, a second roller insidesaid casing and making contact with said first roller, said secondroller havin and a belt surrounding said pulIey and second roller andreceived in said groove.

13. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle having a rotatable brush therein andalso having an opening in its bottom wall, a vertically adjustablebracket in said opening, a floor roller carried by saidbracket, a drivenmember carried by said bracket and operativelythe combinatioh with acasing having a fan chamber and a collecting nozzle, a suction fan insaid chamber, a horizontal transverse shaft carried by the casing,driving and carrying wheels on said shaft, the former being operativelyconnected to said fan and the latter adapted to -rest on the floor andone of the same being loose on the shaft, *and a power springconnecting'the shaft and loose wheel and adapted to be wound up by, theforward movement of said carrying wheels.

a groove, I

16. In a device of the character described, the combination with acasing having a fan chamber and a suction fan, of a transversehorizontal shaft journaled to said casing, carrying wheels on saidshaft, a driving member sleeved on said shaft, operative connectionsbetween said member and fan, a spring connecting said-shaft and drivingmember arranged to be wound up as said wheels are moved forwardly, andmeans for preventing the releaseof said spring when said wheels aremoved rearwardly.

17. The combination with a casing and a rotatable fan located inoperative relation thereto, of carrying wheels, and means operativelyconnecting said wheels and fan, whereby the latter is rotated as saidcasing is advanced, said means including an energy-storing springwhereby said fan will be operated for a time after the advancingmovement of said dustpan has ceased.

18. In a suction cleaner, a casing having a fan chamber and a collectingnozzle, said fan chamber being of pocket-shape and having openings inits side walls, a suction fan of greater diameter than either opening,one of said openings communicating with said nozzle, a fan shaftprojecting through the other opening and detachably connected to saidfan, a curved shield removably secured inside the open end of saidchamber so as to define an outlet passage adjacent one of the sidewalls, and a collecting bag secured to the open end of. said fanchamber.

19. In a suction cleaner, a fan chamber .Collecting nozzle overlappingthe last aperture, a yielding plate removably secured inside the openend of said fan chamber so as to define an outlet near one wall thereof,and a collecting bag secured to the open end of said fan chamber.

20. In a suction sweeper, a collecting nozzle and a fan chamber theformer made from two pieces of sheet metal joined at their edges, one ofwhich forms the bottom and is provided with an upturned lip, while theother forms a top therefor, one of said pieces having an outlet aperturesurrounded by a neck and said fan chamber having an opening receivingsaid neck and interlocked therewith.

21,'In a suction sweeper,- a fan chamber supported in inclined positionand having an inlet opening in its upper face, and a collecting nozzleoverlying said fan chamber, said nozzle being made from sheet metal, onepiece of which constitutes the bottom and is formed at one part with areceiving edge which extends near the supporting surface and at anotherpart with a neck extending into and interlocked with said inlet opening,the other piece of which constitutes the top and is secured to thelateral margins of the first piece.

22. In a suction sweeper, a fan chamber having a U-shaped side wall andflat sides connecting the margins of said wall, said sides havingapertures for inlet purposes and fan shaft respectively in combinationwith a sheet metal collecting nozzle, having a part overlying the faceof the inlet side and having a neck extending into said inlet openingand bent into engagement with the walls thereof. I

23. The combination with a dust pan of a brush arranged to throw litterupon the dust pan, a fan adapted to draw air over the dustpan, a handleso aiiixed to the dust pan that when raised the latter will be inclinedso as to facilitate the discharge of its contents into the fan, and abag into which the fan discharges.

24:. In a device of the character described,

in combination, a fan chamber having an outlet neck located in the planeof the fan chamber, said neck being oblong in cross-section andsymmetrically disposed relatively to the fan chamber, means for securinga dust bag to said neck, and a shield located inside said neck anddefining an outlet pas,- sage which is eccentric of said fan chamber.

25. In a device of the character described, in combination, a rigidcasing having a fan chamber, a collecting nozzle, and an outlet neck,carrying wheels for said casing arranged to support the casing with thenozzle presented toward the floor on one side and the outlet neckprojecting rearwardly on the opposite side, said outlet neck beingelongated laterally and arranged symmetrically upon opposite sides ofthe longitudinal axis of the cleaner, means for securing a dust bag tosaid neck, and a shield located inside said neck so as to confine theoutlet passageway to one side thereof.

26. In a suction sweeper, in combination, a casing, a centrifugalpumping device therein, fioor engaging wheels carried by said casing,and operative connections between said wheels and pumping device, saidconnections including a spring adapted/and arranged to permit a forwardmovement of said wheels during the time that-said pumping device is heldback by its inertia, whereby a progressively increasing tension isimposed on said spring until such inertia is overcome. 4

27. In a suction sweeper, in combination, a casing, a rotary fantherein, a worm screw carried by the fanshaft, a wormwheel engaging saidscrew in driving relation, floor engaging wheels carried by said casing,and operating connections between said carrying wheels and worm wheel,said connections including a spring adapted to be wound up whenever thecarrying wheelsare rotated forwardly at a rate disproportionately largerthan the rate of rotation of said fan.

28. In a suction sweeper, in combination, a casmg, a pumplng devicetherein, a floor engaging wheel, operative connections between saidwheel and pumping device, including a spring which is adapted andarranged to be wound up whenever the carrying wheel is rotated forwardlyat a rate disproportionately larger than the rate of movement of saidpumping device, and means additional to said spring for limiting therelative movement between said wheel and device.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

JAMES B. KIRBY.

